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Yes, that one; two accusations of 'inappropriate touching'.
Totally dismissive of Caroline Nokes.
Anyone surprised?
No, me neither
Didn't he call the majority of the British public thick and illiterate.
Runs in the family
https://www.itv.com/news/2019-09-29/boris-johnson-accused-of-squeezing-journalist-s-thigh
Didn’t he break his wife’s nose?
Baffling that such an obviously misogynistic man can bring up a son who is almost Germaine Greer-esque in his feminism
Isn't there a saying about the apple not falling far from the tree?
Odious, arrogant and entitled.
Arses both.
Isn’t there a saying about the apple not falling far from the tree?
Yes when you read about how much of an arsehole he was its not overly surprising Alexander ended up being an even greater arsehole.
Some great people will manage to succeed despite their parents but most of us will be heavily dependant on their influence. Thats speaking as someone whose parents managed to get out of their crap upbringing to give me far better chances. My niece also managed it but plenty of other relatives kept going in the same downward spiral and I am just happy to not have had to test it.
And then IDS tries to brush the behaviour of as being ‘of its time’ - this way 2003, not 1903!
Obscene, odious, entitled buffoon. Representative of a sick Britain.
Didn’t he call the majority of the British public thick and illiterate.
Well that should ingratiate him with a fair few people on here.
He is also a strong EU supporter so all he needs to do is pretend to ride a mountain bike and he could join in the fun on the Brexit thread 😉
Starmer should be working up a question about unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate touching to launch at PMQs.
Not with any specific person in mind...
He won't.
Missed opportunity.
One of the two cheeks of the same arse.
Missed opportunity.
At a cheap shot?
Let's hope Starmer doesn't use the questionable behaviour of relatives to attack the prime minister and that he leaves that sort of tactic to the likes of Donald Trump.
To be fair I can't imagine that Starmer would use that sort of gutter politics.
Mind you Starmer isn't very good at attacking Johnson with regards to Johnson's own behaviour, sadly.
ernie, it's time for Starmer to hose johnson with shit; god knows, there's more than enough of that for many PMQs
EDIT - if Starmer won't do it because of his 'innate decency' let Rayner get stuck in; she doesn't have slightest respect for johnson and he doesn't know how to respond to forceful women.
Didn’t he call the majority of the British public thick and illiterate.
He might have a point, they did put his son in No 10.
Missed opportunity.
You reckon?
TBH I'd rather Starmer kept pressure up over MP corruption than latch onto some diversionary story planted to draw our attention away from our current government's behaviour.
Uninvited arse slapping isn't acceptable, but it's also not the issue I want the PM holding to account over...
Let’s hope Starmer doesn’t use the questionable behaviour of relatives to attack the prime minister and that he leaves that sort of tactic to the likes of Donald Trump.
I think you missed the point - Starmer can lead on these type of allegations about Boris, let alone his dad.
Stanley is not just his “dad”, he’s a Conservative politician and spoke on behalf of his son on TV and radio, both during his party leadership campaign and the last general election.
Exactly Kelvin, Stanley Johnson is a high profile Tory who clearly relishes giving his opinions to the media. It is quite reasonable for opposition politicians to publicly call for investigations when allegations of inappropriate behaviour are made. Which is what Starmer has done :
However holding his son responsible for anything other than his own behaviour isn't reasonable.
What about the behaviour of other Conservative politicians, and others that have appeared as spokespeople for him? As party leader, where do his responsibilities begin and end when it comes to others in his party, and those he has tasked with appearing in the media for him personally?
Well of course Stanley Johnson should treated just like any other Tory Party member, the fact that he is the PM's father is irrelevant.
Asking snidey questions during PMQs to score cheap points is unreasonable, unlikely to receive public approval, and definitely wouldn't be a positive development for British politics.
If there is a question to be asked or a point to be made it should be direct. Which is actually what Starmer has done.
Well of course Stanley Johnson should treated just like any other Tory Party member
He's not just a member. He is a Tory politician, and has appeared as the spokesperson for his son, at hustings and media debates when he was standing to be party leader, and then at the TV leader debates for the 2019 election, and on TV and radio since. He is not just "any other Tory Party member", and nor is he just a "private individual"...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59303410
Downing Street said it would not be making a statement regarding Mr Johnson, as he was a "private individual".
And...
the fact that he is the PM’s father is irrelevant
It should be, yes, so why was he sent to represent his son at the debates? As Boris Johnson's father, he has stepped forward and taken (another) political role for his son. It is because of that role that the PM needs to be answerable to his actions. He choose him to represent him. Perhaps he shouldn't have given such a role to his father, but he can't use the "he's just a private individual" or "just another Tory member" to avoid comment or responsibility for his team, his political inner circle.
Calm down Kelvin, no one denies that Stanley Johnson is a Tory or that he doesn't enjoy media attention.
I am calm. Why do you think otherwise? I am pointing out the the PM can't now artificially keep his father distant from his own political career, after he chose to make him part of it. Remember Stanley Johnson turning up at Channel4 to push for Gove to appear when Boris Johnson wouldn't do the climate debate? Just one example of Stanley Johnson being part of Boris Johnson's team, not just his father, or just another member, or just a private individual. It was on my mind recently because of COP26, and how Johnson is happy to vaguely waffle about measures to address climate change, but not to be properly questioned about it. Just as he'll avoid questions about a member of his political circle and his behaviour towards women, including a Conservative MP. Avoidance is what he does. He doesn't need help with that from Labour's front bench, or randoms on the internet.
You obviously didn't bother reading the the link I posted earlier Kelvin, here it is again :
The issue is being addressed, it doesn't require cheap shots during PMQs
The issue is being addressed
Which bit of that report reassures you that the issue is being addressed?
Downing Street earlier refused to comment.
Asked about the allegation at a regular briefing with journalists, Boris Johnson's spokesman said he was "not going to be drawn into individual cases".
The spokesman said he had not spoken with the PM about the claim, adding: "It wouldn't be one for me.
"I'm not going to be drawn into specific allegations against a private individual.
"Of course we would want anyone in any circumstance who feels they have been a victim of any kind of harassment to come forward and report them to the appropriate authorities."
Speaking to Sky News earlier, security minister Damian Hinds said an investigation will be carried out into allegations made against the PM's father "if that's the appropriate course of action".
Which bit of that report reassures you that the issue is being addressed?
The issue of how Starmer should react to the allegations made about Stanley Johnson has been addressed.
If he feels disatisfied by the way the Tories are dealing with it he can raise the issue again.
No need for Starmer to raise it PMQs with some vague "no specific person in mind" question, as was suggested.
So... ask for a Conservative party internal investigation... when they just reply no comment... don't bring it up at PMQs. That'll teach 'em...
That’ll teach ’em…
Unlike a snidey question during PMQs with "no specific person in mind”?
Will that teach them?
I guess it depends what your objectives are. If it is point scoring STW style then yes that would make reasonable sense.
If however it is to provide a credible alternative to the existing government, whilst simultaneously improving the level of political debate, then it doesn't make sense.
British politics deserves better. Which sadly seems to be lacking.
He is also a strong EU supporter so all he needs to do is pretend to ride a mountain bike and he could join in the fun on the Brexit thread 😉
Don't forget so was his son (the buffoon incharge), I suspect their loyalty swings depending on whatever the opportunity brings.
Looks like my only chat up line of 'come and sit on me knee and lets talk about the first thing that pops up' is out of the window....bloody snowflakes. 😉
Unlike a snidey question during PMQs with “no specific person in mind”?
I trust Starmer to be able to ask a question about the behaviour of someone politically close to the PM, and them getting away with it, at PMQs, without it coming across as “snidey”. He has a lot more experience then any of us randoms on the internet.
What is the “purpose” of chasing this, and other issues as regards behaviour and the lack of accountability as regards Johnson’s people… both elected and not elected…? To make the “one rule for us, another for them” charge stick. This government look increasingly like they think they are above all rules, all laws, all standards. Keep reminding the voters of that.
Well it took a while but it's nice to see that we finally agree 🙂
And with that agreement between ernie and kelvin I look forward to Starmer asking a pointed question.
johnson was OK with his father acting as a proxy so they're both in this together.
Anything which is an attempt to embarrass or humiliate johnson gets my unequivocal support.
Ooo... I get to agree with Frank and Ernie. Let's see...
So far it's dumping rail investment for the North. No answer from Johnson.
And now about Johnson trying to clear Paterson. He said it was a mistake (is that a first?)
johnson was OK with his father acting as a proxy so they’re both in this together.
Both in this together? So Stanley slapped the alleged victim's arse on behalf of his son?
Well there's commitment for you.
Onto awarding contracts on Randox. Good judgement to run with that.
Speaker is getting very irate with the PM as he avoids Starmer's questions by deliberately breaking the rules of PMQs.
Didn't old Pinocchio Johnson inappropriately touch his wife's nose?
Know a tree by its fruit.
Baffling that such an obviously misogynistic man can bring up a son who is almost Germaine Greer-esque in his feminism
I see him more as Andrea Dworkin.
Ernie - ho ho!
One of the agenda items for the Liaison Committee is violence against women and girls.
Moving on from that I see Gillian Keegan has said notes of a call between Lord Bethell and Randox have 'disappeared'.
Sounds like the Met police.
Why do we have a ruling class, and why do they stick up for each other no matter what…?
https://twitter.com/lowe_kieran/status/1461011740729167883?s=21
https://twitter.com/spittingcat/status/1461012952300011532?s=21
Starmer can lead on these type of allegations about Boris, let alone his dad.
Well, he didn’t. And given what he did bring up at PMQs, probably the right judgment.
But, it matters when our law makers and their political colleagues (family or not) “slip up” when it comes to this kind of thing, and they later close ranks to protect each other, and to resist calls to update our laws…
https://twitter.com/adambienkov/status/1460521375043575811?s=21
Its ok everyone he's just a bit "handsy"
Officers should focus their limited resources on investigating real crimes.....careful what you wish for
https://twitter.com/IsabelOakeshott/status/1460925253832646661
An influential Conservative environmental group has distanced itself from Stanley Johnson after allegations made against the prime minister’s father by a senior MP and a political journalists.
It came as another political journalist, Isabel Oakeshott, described Johnson as “handsy” but said she did not deem it worthy of a criminal investigation.
The Conservative Environment Network (CEN), for which Stanley Johnson acts as international ambassador, said it was concerned about the the allegations, made by the former cabinet minister Caroline Nokes and the New Statesman journalist Ailbhe Rea.
The group said in a statement: “We take all allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously. We have clear internal processes for managing allegations of this nature, and these are currently being followed. The alleged behaviour is not acceptable to CEN.”
So oakeshott think that johnson snr being handsy isn't worthy of a criminal investigation.
Warm clammy hand of labour activist/politician exploring her inner thigh and moving upwards may, possibly, have elicited slightly different comment from her.